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Palestinian officials blamed ongoing Israeli airstrikes for the lethal incident, while a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said a Palestinian Islamic Jihad group is responsible for a “failed rocket launch” that hit the hospital. The blast resulted in Jordan canceling a planned Wednesday summit between US President Joe Biden and the leaders of Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority. A White House official said Biden will not travel to Jordan. Biden is still en route to Israel as part of his planned visit, where he seeks to demonstrate staunch support for the country while also pressing for ways to ease humanitarian suffering in Gaza as water and food supplies dwindle for hundreds of thousands of displaced people. Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, in response to the October 7 terrorist attacks that killed 1,400 people. At least 3,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since last Saturday, according to the Palestinian health officials. Here’s how to help humanitarian efforts in Israel and Gaza. 5:52 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023 4:36 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023 Aftermath of Gaza hospital blast is "unparalleled and indescribable," Palestinian Ministry of Health says From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq The situation following a deadly blast at a hospital in Gaza is “unparalleled and indescribable,” said Dr. Ashraf Al-Qudra, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Al-Qudra said in a statement on Wednesday (local time) that the blast killed hundreds of people “and ambulance crews are still removing body parts as most of the victims are children and women.” He noted that the number of victims and their injuries “exceeded the capabilities of medical teams and ambulances.” Al-Qudra added: “Doctors were performing surgeries on the ground and in the corridors, some of them without anesthesia and a large number of injured people are still waiting for operations, and the medical teams are trying to save their lives in intensive care.” More context: Hundreds of people are believed to be dead following a strike on a hospital in Gaza. Palestinian officials blamed ongoing Israeli airstrikes for the lethal incident, while a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said a Palestinian Islamic Jihad group is responsible for a “failed rocket launch” that hit the hospital. 4:27 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023 Palestinian ambassador to UN accuses Israel of being behind Gaza hospital blast From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq Ambassador Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian Observer to the United Nations, accused Israel of carrying out the deadly blast at the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza on Tuesday. He said Israeli officials were being dishonest in blaming Palestinian Islamic Jihad for the blast. The Israel Defense Forces said earlier on Tuesday that their intelligence shows a “failed rocket launch” by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group was responsible for the explosion that left hundreds dead. 6:06 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023 Church that funds Gaza hospital condemns blast, says Gaza deprived of safe havens From CNN’s Kareem Khadder The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem condemned the deadly explosion that took place at the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza Tuesday, according to a statement. The diocese oversees the board and administration for the hospital and exclusively funds the facility through the Anglican Church via international donations. The diocese said they were observing a global day of fasting and prayers to end the conflict that “was marred by a brutal attack” on the hospital, the statement read. The diocese announced a day of mourning in all of its churches and institutions. “Gaza remains bereft of safe havens,” the diocese said, and called the blast a crime against humanity in their statement. The diocese also said “the devastation witnessed, coupled with the sacrilegious targeting of the church, strikes at the very core of human decency,” adding that “we assert unequivocally that this is deserving international condemnation and retribution.” This post has been updated with additional information. 4:42 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023 US State Department warns Americans not to travel to Lebanon From CNN's Jennifer Hansler The US State Department issued a travel advisory Tuesday warning Americans not to travel to Lebanon. The department will allow family members and some non-emergency US government personnel from the embassy in Beirut to voluntarily depart the country “due to the unpredictable security situation.” The travel advisory level for Lebanon was raised to Level 4: Do Not Travel on Tuesday “due to the unpredictable security situation related to rocket, missile, and artillery exchanges between Israel and Hizballah or other armed militant factions,” according to an updated advisory. The advisory made note of the fact that “large demonstrations have erupted in the wake of recent violence in Israel and Gaza.” The advisory warned that “U.S. citizens who choose to travel to Lebanon should be aware that consular officers from the U.S. Embassy are not always able to travel to assist them.” “The Department of State considers the threat to U.S. government personnel in Beirut sufficiently serious to require them to live and work under strict security. The internal security policies of the U.S. Embassy may be adjusted at any time and without advance notice,” the advisory read. Last week, the State Department raised the travel advisory for Israel to Level 3: Reconsider Travel. The advisory for Gaza remains at the most severe – Level 4: Do Not Travel. Read more on the State Department’s advisory. 3:18 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023 White House says Israel feels "very strongly" they did not cause hospital explosion From CNN's Nikki Carvajal Israel feels “very strongly” they did not cause the explosion at a hospital in Gaza, the White House said Tuesday. He said US President Joe Biden spoke with “all the leaders involved” about his trip to the region Tuesday afternoon “so that all of them could make a collective decision about the value of continuing.” Asked if the US was giving Israel the “benefit of the doubt,” Kirby declined to weigh in on where the administration thinks responsibility lies for the blast. Biden has directed the national security team to gather as much information and context as possible “so that we can learn more about what happened,” Kirby said. As for the cancellation of Biden’s trip to Amman, Jordan, Kirby said it was a “mutual decision” between Jordanian and US officials. Biden was set to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and others in Jordan, but Abbas canceled his meeting with Biden earlier Tuesday. The White House said that was due to a three-day mourning period. Asked why the president didn’t push his trip back until after the three-day mourning period, Kirby said there was still a “pretty robust agenda” for Biden on the ground in Israel. “He wants to have these discussions directly with Prime Minister Netanyahu and the war cabinet,” Kirby said. “He’s looking forward to having an opportunity to thank the first responders, he obviously feels it’s important, as is his normal desire, to talk to family members who are suffering and anxious and worried and grieving.” “Even though the Amman portion isn’t going to happen — again for perfectly understandable reasons — that doesn’t negate the reason for going,” Kirby said. 2:56 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023 State Department: About 1,500 citizens and family members have departed Israel on US-chartered transportation From CNN's Jennifer Hansler Around 1,500 US citizens and their family members have departed from Israel on US government-chartered transport, a State Department spokesperson told CNN Tuesday. They added that “U.S. government-facilitated flights are scheduled to continue on a rolling basis from Ben Gurion International Airport through at least Sunday, October 22.” “The departure options we have offered have generally departed at half capacity or less,” they said. They said “thousands of U.S. citizens have reached out via our online form or via phone since October 7,” but “many have not sought to depart.” “We are not in a position to share detailed breakdowns of the number of U.S. citizens seeking departure assistance, or the number of U.S. citizens whose departure we have facilitated, given this is an unfolding situation,” they added. 3:10 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023 Countries condemn Gaza hospital blast From CNN’s Sophia Saifi in Islamabad and Mariya Knight and Martin Goillandeau Several nations condemned the deadly blast that likely killed hundreds of people in Gaza City. France said it “strongly condemns the strike against the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City, which caused a very high number of Palestinian civilian casualties,” according to statement from the country’s Foreign Ministry. Pakistan called the deadly blast an “Israeli attack” and the Israeli military was “inhumane and indefensible” for “attacking a hospital, where civilians were seeking shelter and emergency treatment,” according to a statement from the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. CNN has not independently confirmed the cause of the blast. Pakistan called for “the international community to take urgent measures to bring an immediate end to the Israeli bombardment and siege of Gaza and the impunity with which Israeli authorities have operated in the last few days,” the statement read. Israel and Hamas each blamed the other side for the blast. 3:02 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023 Officials downplay expectations for deliverables for Biden's shortened trip From CNN's Kayla Tausche and MJ Lee When President Joe Biden touches down in Israel for a high-security wartime visit, his focus will be on managing a complicated situation and less on securing clear deliverables, according to two sources close to the matter. It’s a clear signal of the White House seeking to manage expectations after a major portion of the trip was scrapped at the last-minute. The presence of Biden, who places a premium on personal diplomacy, is meant to show solidarity with the United States’s closest allies and to deter rogue actors in the region from opening up a second front in the war. But the sudden cancelation Tuesday night of a major summit with Arab leaders in Jordan posed additional challenges for the president, who had hoped to return to the US after having firmly established a way for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. The visit to Israel carries significant risks – both physical and political – with active conflict and asymmetric information. A blast at a Gaza hospital Tuesday that Palestinian officials say left hundreds dead led to a last-minute briefing by the president’s top national security advisers and a phone call with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is still traveling in the Middle East, to assess the intelligence available. But no conclusion was drawn about who was behind the attack, CNN has learned, with the president instructing his team to continue evaluating the available information. The blast – which led to the cancellation of a summit between Biden and Arab leaders in Jordan – was always seen as a possible, and to some extent even probable, risk of such a visit, and the president’s team concluded that the merits of the trip outweighed those risks. Even as conflicting claims were coming in about who was responsible for the devastating hospital blast in Gaza and the second half of Biden’s trip was scrapped altogether, multiple sources told CNN that the president’s top advisers did not come close on Tuesday to canceling the Israel portion of the trip. The president will be meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and his War Cabinet to glean information about what security assistance the US can provide, and he will be assessing the humanitarian situation – with discussions continuing about sending aid into Gaza and allowing refugees to cross through the Rafah crossing into Egypt. Despite ongoing discussions with Israel and other partners, sources downplayed the expectation that the visit would result immediately in a refugee deal or the release of American hostages in Hamas custody. 3:44 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023 IDF to release more evidence to prove Israel was not responsible for Gaza hospital blast, spokesperson says From CNN's Heather Law in Atlanta Israel will release additional evidence to prove they were not responsible for the hospital blast in Gaza that left hundreds dead, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, told CNN Tuesday evening. Israel has already released footage captured by a UAV to international media, Conricus said, and they plan to release additional intelligence of an intercepted conversation between Palestinian militants that they understand there was a rocket that had misfired. Conricus added that the IDF went through their own systems to confirm they did not fire at that location and that there was no misfire from Israel. Conricus said an investigation into the blast revealed that the Islamic Jihad had fired a barrage of rockets toward northern or central Israel, and at least one of them misfired, landed on the ground and exploded. Conricus also refuted claims that the blast could have been the result of an iron dome interception that caused the rocket to explode and land, saying this “has also been categorically denied.” “That is not the case, and we do not intercept rockets over Gaza,” he stated. Israel has already briefed US military officials on this intelligence ahead of US President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel on Wednesday, Conricus said. 2:13 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023 Biden plans to ask Israel tough questions "as a friend" during Tel Aviv visit, White House says From CNN's Betsy Klein US President Joe Biden plans to ask “tough questions” as a “friend” to Israel when he spends his Wednesday in Tel Aviv — a trip meant as a forceful public show of support, but also a push for easing a growing humanitarian crisis. Biden will first meet with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a restricted bilateral meeting, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters aboard Air Force One in a preview of Wednesday’s trip. That meeting will later broaden to include other US officials and the Israeli War Cabinet. In those meetings, Kirby said the president is “going to get a sense from the Israelis about the situation on the ground, and, more critically, their objectives, their plans, their intentions in the days and weeks ahead.” Pressed later on what those tough questions would be, Kirby said it would not be “adversarial” but rather, “in the spirit of a true, deep friend of Israel.” The president will “make it clear that we continue to want to see this conflict not widen, not expand, not deepen,” Kirby said, pointing to a “strong signal” from the US with additional military capability. Biden is also expected to discuss Israel’s needs and “make it clear that we will do everything we can to meet those needs,” Kirby said. Hostages held by Hamas will also be a key topic of discussion, Kirby said, as Biden seeks to find out more from his Israeli counterparts about “where they are, what condition they are in, if they are being moved.” And he will make the case for a “sustained” humanitarian situation in Gaza, Kirby added. “We want to see humanitarian assistance flow in — and it’s not just a one and done — we want to see it be able to be sustained: food, water, obviously electrical power, medicine, all the things that the people of Gaza are going to continue to need as this conflict continues to go on. So he’ll make that case very, very clearly,” he said, adding that Special Envoy David Satterfield is “now on the ground” working with Israeli and Egyptian counterparts. Later Wednesday, Biden will meet with some families impacted by the violence of the past week, including some who have lost loved ones in Israel, and some who “still don’t know the fate of their loved ones.” Some of those family members have loved ones who are being held hostage, though it was not immediately clear whether they are Americans. After that, Biden will make public remarks in Tel Aviv, which will be covered by traveling press. And he is also expected to “speak directly” with Israel President Isaac Herzog. Though Biden’s trip to Amman, Jordan, was canceled, Biden is expected to speak with leaders in the region on Wednesday night as he returns to Washington. “The President intends to speak with both (Palestinian Authority) President Mahmoud Abbas and (Egypt) President (Abdel Fattah el-) Sisi on the flight home,” Kirby said. 2:00 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023 German Chancellor's plane evacuated after air raid alert in Israel, Reuters video shows From CNN's Mitchell McCluskey German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was evacuated from his plane shortly before takeoff in Israel due to an air raid alert late Tuesday night, a Reuters correspondent traveling with the chancellor reported. Video recorded by Reuters shows Scholz and his staff quickly entering a vehicle on the tarmac of Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv after disembarking the plane. Scholz arrived in Israel on Tuesday and met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express Germany’s solidarity with Israel. Scholz is set to travel to Egypt to meet with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Wednesday. CNN has reached out to the Chancellor’s office for comment. 1:50 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023 Canadian officials: International negotiators seem to be closer to securing humanitarian corridor out of Gaza From CNN’s Paula Newton in Ottawa Canadian officials say that while the Rafah crossing remains extremely dangerous, they are encouraged that they and international negotiators seem to be getting closer to establishing a humanitarian corridor out of Gaza and into Egypt. Lévêque declined to provide any details of the negotiations but said they involved Egypt, the United Nation, the US and other nations. Canadian officials cautioned that the window to leave will likely be short and they confirmed that they are in touch with about 370 Canadians or “Canadian entitled” people needing to leave Gaza. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reacted to the hospital blast in Gaza, again calling on all parties to respect international law. “The news coming out of Gaza is horrific and absolutely unacceptable,” Trudeau told reporters, shortly after he received news of the hospital bombing Tuesday. “International humanitarian and international law needs to be respected in this and in all cases,” he added. “There are rules around wars and it’s not acceptable.” 1:47 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023 The US and Israel continue efforts to locate impacted Americans in the Middle East, FBI director says US and Israeli officials continue to work together to “locate and identify all Americans who’ve been impacted in the region including those who remain unaccounted for,” FBI Director Christopher Wray told reporters Tuesday. He said the FBI continues to partner with state and local law enforcement agencies to mitigate all threats they have identified within the US. Asked what the FBI has been able to discern about the preparation and planning of Hamas’ attack in Israel, Wray said “those are absolutely topics that we’ve been discussing as partners in our private meetings.” He didn’t elaborate further. Over the weekend, Wray told reporters the FBI has seen an increase in reported threats in the US amid the Israel-Hamas war. Most threats have been deemed not credible by the agency, a senior FBI official said during the call, but Jewish and Muslim institutions have been targeted. 1:31 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023 UN Human Rights chief says deaths from Gaza hospital blast are "unacceptable" From CNN’s Richard Roth UN Human Rights chief Volker Tur said the Gaza hospital blast that left at least hundreds of people dead was “unacceptable,” according to a statement released on Tuesday from the Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. Hospitals are sacrosanct and the killings and violence must stop, Turk said. He added those responsible for the hospital blast must be held accountable. Turk urged all states with influence to do everything in their power to stop the current situation. “Civilians must be protected, and humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach those in need as a matter of urgency. Those found responsible must be held to account,” he said. 1:24 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023 Airstrikes near northern Gaza heard by CNN crew From CNN's Nic Robertson Multiple airstrikes in the direction of northern Gaza were heard in Sderot, Israel, by CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson in the early hours of Wednesday morning local time. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have not yet commented on strikes. 1:39 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023 The US is analyzing Israeli intelligence about Gaza hospital blast From CNN's Oren Liebermann The US is analyzing intelligence provided by Israel on the explosion at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza, according to an Israeli official and another source familiar with the matter. US intelligence officials are working to understand the explosion at the hospital in Gaza that left hundreds of people dead. Palestinian officials have accused Israel of the attack while Israel has blamed Palestinian Islamic Jihad for a failed rocket launch. The Israeli official said Israel provided the US with signals intelligence, which includes intercepted communications and other forms of data collected through various means. The National Security Agency, which handles signals intelligence in the US, declined to comment. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not immediately respond to a request for comment. FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a news conference Tuesday afternoon that international intelligence officials are closely monitoring the ongoing situation in Middle East “and we remain laser focused on protecting the citizens of all our countries.” 1:04 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023 Gaza hospital blast leaves hundreds dead as Israeli blockade cripples medical response. Here's the latest From CNN's Jessie Yeung, Tara John and Zahid Mahmood, Palestinian officials said hundreds were killed by a massive blast at a Gaza hospital on Tuesday, as humanitarian concerns mount over Israel’s deprivation of food, fuel and electricity to the enclave’s population. Here are key things to know about today’s developments: The blast: Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital was sheltering thousands of displaced people when it was bombed Tuesday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement. Many victims are still under the rubble, it added. Hamas, which controls the enclave, said more than 500 people were killed by the bombing. The Palestinian Health Ministry earlier said preliminary estimates indicate that between 200 to 300 people died in the attack. Palestinian officials blamed ongoing Israeli airstrikes for the lethal incident. But the Israel Defense Forces has “categorically” denied any involvement in the hospital attack, blaming instead a “failed rocket launch” by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, a rival Islamist militant group in Gaza. Impacted hospitals: Gaza has been under siege by Israel for more than a week, in response to the deadly incursion by Hamas, the Islamist militant group that controls the coastal enclave, home to 2.2 million people. Hospitals meanwhile are struggling to tend to the wounded across the territory, operating with shortages of electricity and water. Israeli bombardment has killed at least 3,000 people, including 1,032 girls and 940 boys, and wounded 12,500 in Gaza, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said Tuesday. Casualties in Gaza over the past 10 days have now surpassed the number of those killed during the 51-day Gaza-Israel conflict in 2014. While the IDF has said it does not target hospitals, the UN and Doctors Without Borders say Israeli airstrikes have struck medical facilities, including hospitals and ambulances. Health services within Gaza are on the brink and food and water supplies are running low. Twenty out of 23 hospitals were offering partial services because fuel reserves are “almost totally depleted,” the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) warned on Tuesday. Closed crossing: Urgent calls for help are growing on both sides of a closed crossing as aid amasses on the Egyptian side of the border. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday said the the United States and Israel “have agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organizations to reach civilians in Gaza.” But on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, a miles long convoy of humanitarian assistance awaiting entry into Gaza, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told CNN that “until now, there is no safe passage that has been granted” as they do not “have any authorization or clear, secure routes for those convoys to be able to enter safely and without any possibility of their being targeted.” Read more about the conflict. 1:13 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023 Protests break out around Middle East and North Africa after Gaza hospital blast From CNN's Ben Wedeman in Beirut, Aqeel Najim in Baghdad and Caroline Faraj, Jomana Karadsheh, Mohammed Tawfeeq and Adam Pourahmadi Several countries in the Middle East saw protesters march after hundreds of people died in an explosion at a hospital in Gaza. Israel and Hamas each blamed the other side for the blast. Preliminary estimates indicate hundreds of people have been killed in the explosion at the Gaza hospital, which was sheltering thousands of displaced people who were forcibly evacuated from their homes by the “occupation,” the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said in a statement. Here’s a look at protests erupting across the Middle East: In Jordan, hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in the western part of the capital, Amman, Tuesday night as a group gathered near the Israeli embassy in the Rabieh area in an attempt to “reach it,” but security forces dealt with them and pushed them away, a security source told CNN on Tuesday. Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency also reported the protesters attempts to reach the embassy. Jordanian security forces used tear gas to disperse crowds in Amman, two activists told CNN, a claim backed up by social media videos that also show security forces using tear gas to push protesters back from the embassy. There have been almost daily protests near the Israeli embassy over the past week to protest Israeli strikes on Gaza. In Lebanon, hundreds of protesters gathered in the square that leads to the US embassy north of Beirut on Tuesday and tried to break through security barriers, according to a CNN team there. In Iraq, hundreds of people took to the streets in Baghdad chanting anti-Israel slogans. Security officials in Baghdad told CNN that dozens of protesters attempted to cross a bridge that leads to Green Zone, but security forces prevented them from crossing it. Baghdad’s Green Zone houses Iraqi government offices and several embassies, including US embassy. In Iran, protests also took place outside the French and British embassies in Tehran, the country’s cemoapital. Demonstrators could be heard chanting “death to France, England, America, and the Zionists,” according to a video published by Iran state-run RNA news on Wednesday morning. Rallies also took place in other cities, including Esfahan and Qom. In Tunisia, hundreds of people rallied in several areas in Tunis, the capital, following the hospital blast, according to the state-run TAP news agency on Tuesday. TAP said “mass protests were held on Tuesday night,” in several areas “in solidarity with the Palestinian people” and against the Israeli aggression on Gaza. 1:10 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023 In photos: The aftermath of a bombing of a hospital in Gaza From CNN's Jessie Yeung, Tara John, Zahid Mahmood and Will Lanzoni Editor’s Note: This post contains graphic images. Hundreds of people were killed by a massive blast at a Gaza hospital on Tuesday, according to Palestinian officials. Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital was sheltering thousands of displaced people when it was bombed, the Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement. Palestinian officials blamed ongoing Israeli airstrikes, but the Israel Defense Forces has denied any involvement, instead saying the bombing was caused by a “failed rocket launch” from a Palestinian Islamic Jihad group. Meanwhile, health services within Gaza are on the brink and food and water supplies are running low. Here’s what the situation looks like in photos: 7:45 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023 21 killed in Israeli airstrikes on residence in Khan Younis, Palestinian interior ministry says From CNN’s Eyad Kourdi An Israeli airstrike on a residence in Gaza killed 21 people, Palestine’s Ministry of Interior Affairs said Tuesday. The strike hit the Al-Jabri family’s residence in the Emirati neighborhood of Khan Younis, the Gaza-based ministry said in a statement. A number of others were injured, but the ministry did not provide an exact figure. Khan Younis is in southern Gaza, which has become increasingly crowded with displaced civilians after Israel told people to evacuate northern Gaza. IDF international spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told CNN’s John Vause earlier that he was “not aware of any strikes specifically in those areas but they could have happened.” 7:59 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023 84,000 pregnant women at risk in Gaza with aid stalled at Rafah crossing, World Health Organization says From CNN’s Mihir Melwani The World Health Organization is unable to get aid and supplies to Gaza, potentially putting 84,000 pregnant women at risk, a spokesperson told CNN. There are “78 cubic meters of health supplies, which is enough for the basic essential needs for 300,000 people” positioned on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, which is currently closed, WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris told CNN’s John Vause. The WHO’s director-general had an agreement with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to open the crossing, but Israeli bombing has rendered the passage unsafe, she said. There are 84,000 pregnant women in Gaza, with many delivering every day, Harris told Vause. “Babies don’t care about bombs, they come when they come,” she said. Several hospitals are “out of action due to the physical damage of the bombing,” Harris said, noting that the WHO has documented over 44 attacks on hospitals. 7:53 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023 Japan announces $10 million in emergency assistance for Gaza civilians From CNN’s Mayumi Maruyama Japan will provide $10 million in emergency assistance for civilians in Gaza, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said in a press conference on Tuesday. The assistance will come “through international organizations,” Kamikawa added. “Japan will work with humanitarian groups to ensure that innocent civilians and Palestinian refugees receive food, water, medical care, and support they need,” she said. The foreign minister reiterated Japan’s firm condemnation of Hamas’s attacks and expressed support for diplomatic efforts. 7:38 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023 Biden visit will not complicate or delay potential Gaza ground incursion, IDF says From CNN’s Mihir Melwani The Israeli military does not expect a planned visit by US President Joe Biden to complicate or delay any ground invasion of Gaza, a spokesperson told CNN on Tuesday. Israel Defense Forces international spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told CNN’s John Vause he believes Biden supports Israel’s campaign to defeat Hamas. Biden is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Wednesday. 6:19 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023 Israeli airstrikes on Rafah kill at least 28 people, Palestinian interior ministry says From CNN’s Abeer Salman, Kareem El Damanhoury and Larry Register Israeli airstrikes killed at least 28 people in Rafah early Tuesday, according to a statement by the Palestinian Ministry of Interior. Another statement from the ministry said airstrikes also killed and injured people in Khan Yunis, but did not provide an exact number. A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would not confirm whether they launched strikes in those areas. IDF international spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told CNN’s John Vause he was “not aware of any strikes specifically in those areas but they could have happened.” “The combat operations continue. We continue to hunt Hamas operatives to attempt to degrade their military capabilities,” Conricus said. He said the hunt for Hamas targets is part of “the war that has been forced upon us” and Israel will continue military operations “according to the law of armed conflict and of course to minimize civilian casualties. 6:06 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023 UN Security Council rejects Russian resolution on humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza that fails to condemn Hamas From CNN's Richard Roth and Heather Law The United Nations Security Council on Monday rejected a Russian resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire of the war between Israel and Hamas because the draft did not get the required minimum number of votes to be passed. The resolution received five votes in favor, four against and six abstentions, with the United States, the United Kingdom and France voting against due the resolution’s failure to condemn Hamas for its attacks on Israel. The draft would have needed nine votes in favor to proceed. “By failing to condemn Hamas, Russia is giving cover to a terrorist group that brutalizes innocent civilians. It is outrageous, it is hypocritical, and it is indefensible,” US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said in justification to the US’ vote. She previously compared the attacks executed by Hamas to the “most heinous atrocities committed by ISIS.” France’s Permanent Representative to the UN Nicolas de Rivière said “several essential elements were lacking” from Russia’s draft resolution and instead encouraged the council to “unite around the draft proposed by the Brazilian presidency, and agree to condemn this terrorist attack, ensure humanitarian assistance and protect the civilian population of Gaza.” Russia’s Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya claimed the resolution failed to get adopted because of the western bloc’s selfish intentions. “The UN Security Council has once again become hostage to the aspirations of Western countries by not adopting the Russian Federation’s draft resolution on the Middle East,” Nebenzya stated, according to Russian state media RIA Novosti. Moscow has previously criticized Israel’s actions and called for a ceasefire. 7:21 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023 It's morning in Israel and Gaza. Here's what you need to know From CNN staff Te Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt remains closed, leaving humanitarian supplies piling up on the Egyptian side of the border. Neither Gazans nor foreign nationals have been able to cross, and Egypt’s foreign minister is placing the blame on Israel, saying there has been no progress in efforts to open the crossing — the only viable outlet to get people out and vital supplies in. A family of five Palestinian-Americans said they waited for several hours to cross the border, but remain stuck in Gaza with limited supplies and electricity. The UN says its agencies have supplies at the ready to move into southern Gaza, while the EU is launching a humanitarian air bridge operation to Egypt that will bring supplies to the enclave, the European Commission president said. Early Tuesday, Egyptian state-affiliated media outlet Al-Qahera News reported that humanitarian aid convoys were moving toward the Rafah crossing. Here’s what else to know: Biden trip: US President Joe Biden will visit Israel on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced in the early hours of Tuesday from Tel Aviv. Biden had been deliberating whether to make a wartime visit to Israel, a trip fraught with risk that could stand as a dramatic show of support for a top US ally while sending a warning to other countries in the region against escalation. Aid plan: The US and Israel “have agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organizations to reach civilians in Gaza,” Blinken announced Tuesday. But it is unclear if any progress was made on the opening of the Rafah crossing. Dwindling water supply: The director of Gaza’s water authority said Monday that water supply has not yet been restored to the enclave. The WHO warned that people in Gaza face an “imminent” public health crisis, saying the limited amount of water is creating a desperate situation as the lives of more than 3,500 patients in 35 hospitals are at immediate risk. Israeli strikes: At least five people were killed and 15 others injured in an Israeli airstrike on a house in Rafah, the Palestinian interior ministry said. The ministry said the strike on the southern city happened without prior warning. The Israel Defense Forces issued guidance Friday, telling all civilians in northern Gaza to evacuate southward. Some Palestinians who followed the warnings and fled their homes in search of safety were killed by Israeli airstrikes outside of the evacuation zone. Hostages latest: Hamas is holding up to 250 hostages captured during its October 7 attack, according to a spokesperson for the group’s armed wing. He added they cannot determine the exact number of hostages due to constant Israeli airstrikes, which he claimed had killed 22 captives. CNN cannot verify the claims. The Israeli military said Monday at least 199 people are being held hostage in Gaza. Regional conflict fears: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the conflict in Israel risks spilling over regionally. Meanwhile, Israel ordered the evacuation of 28 villages within 2 kilometers of the border with Lebanon amid an exchange of fire with Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Other world leaders, including UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said they are working to prevent an escalation. US support: The Pentagon has ordered that roughly 2,000 troops prepare for a potential deployment to Israel to help with tasks like medical and logistical support, according to multiple defense officials. A US Marine rapid response force is also headed to the waters off the coast of Israel, according to a defense official. While the US is bolstering its presence in the Middle East, US officials have made clear there are no plans for US troops to become directly involved in any Israeli military operations against Hamas. Sign up for CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East, a three-times-a-week newsletter that explores the region’s biggest stories. 5:48 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023 Aid convoys in Egypt are moving toward Gaza border crossing, state media says From CNN's Kareem El Damanhoury and Sarah Sirgany Humanitarian aid convoys in El-Arish are moving toward the Rafah border crossing in Gaza, Egyptian state-affiliated media outlet Al-Qahera News reported early Tuesday local time. El-Arish is about 45 kilometers (28 miles) from the Rafah border crossing. Earlier Monday, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said there has been no progress in efforts to open the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza, while the Israeli prime minister’s office denied there were any arrangements for its opening. Airplanes carrying aid from Jordan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the World Health Organization and the Red Cross have arrived at El-Arish since Thursday. 7:45 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023 US and Israel agree to develop aid plan for civilians in Gaza, Blinken says From CNN's Jennifer Hansler, Kevin Liptak, MJ Lee and Kayla Tausche The United States and Israel “have agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organizations to reach civilians in Gaza,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced during his visit to Israel Tuesday. However, it is unclear if any progress was made on the opening of the Rafah crossing — the only viable route to access Gaza. Blinken said the agreement to work on the plan was done at the US’ request, and they “welcome the government of Israel’s commitment to work on this plan.” US President Joe Biden “very much looks forward to discussing it further” during his visit to Israel, Blinken said. 5:33 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023 President Biden to visit Israel in high-stakes trip From CNN's Jennifer Hansler, Kevin Liptak, MJ Lee and Kayla Tausche The White House is confronting a new war that has required an immediate reorienting of President Joe Biden’s priorities and schedule, including a trip this week to Israel and Jordan as the situation in the Middle East grows ever more urgent. Biden’s upcoming trip, announced by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken from Tel Aviv in the early hours of Tuesday, follows an extensive day of meetings in Israel by the top US diplomat that included a seven-and-a-half hour meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet. Biden’s visit will build on Blinken’s seven nation, multi-day tour of the Middle East, which comes as the US tries to strike a delicate balance of providing unwavering support for Israel’s military operations while mitigating the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and stopping the war from spreading to further fronts. Biden had been deliberating whether to make the wartime visit to Israel, a trip fraught with risk that could stand as a dramatic show of support for a top US ally while sending a warning to other countries in the region against escalation. Aides said the president has expressed a strong interest in making the journey after being invited over the weekend by Netanyahu, whom Biden has known for four decades. The US president will also travel to Jordan, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, where he will meet with King Abdullah II, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The top US diplomat in recent days met separately with the three leaders — all of whom have condemned the situation in Gaza. Read more about Biden’s visit to Israel. 5:36 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023 Israel won't stop until it "destroys the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas," Netanyahu says From CNN’s Hadas Gold Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday that Israel won’t stop until it destroys Hamas’s military and governmental capabilities, according to a statement from the office of the prime minister. Earlier Monday, Putin spoke with leaders from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Syria, Iran and Egypt where he addressed the escalating Israel-Hamas conflict. Putin told Netanyahu that Russia is ready to help end the conflict peacefully, by diplomatic means, according to a Kremlin readout of the call. 1:57 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023 US Marine rapid response force headed to waters near Israel From CNN's Natasha Bertrand and Oren Liebermann A US Marine rapid response force is headed to the waters off the coast of Israel and the Pentagon is preparing American troops for a potential deployment to the country, escalating the US’ show of force in the region as it works to prevent the conflict between Israel and Hamas from widening any further. A defense official familiar with the planning said the rapid response force, consisting of 2,000 Marines and sailors, is being sent. It will join a growing number of US warships and forces converging on Israel as the US seeks to send a message of deterrence to Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. On Sunday evening, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ordered that roughly 2,000 troops prepare for a potential deployment to Israel to help with tasks like medical and logistical support, multiple defense officials said. Taken together, the moves are aimed at forestalling a wider regional war, officials said. But they also risk deepening the US’ involvement in a conflict in which the Biden administration is trying to avoid direct military action. Officials have stressed that the US has no plans to put American boots on the ground to fight in the war between Israel and Hamas, which Israeli officials have warned could be prolonged and difficult. But the planning and movements offer a window into the kind of assistance the US might provide, including managing logistics away from the front lines and offering medical support. That could be particularly valuable if Israel launches a ground invasion of Gaza, which could be complicated and bloody, experts have warned. The decisions also come as the US military has been steadily bolstering its presence in Middle East, including deploying a second aircraft carrier to the eastern Mediterranean Sea to join the USS Ford strike carrier group there, and sending Air Force fighter jets to the region. Read more about troop preparations. 1:43 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023 Gaza is facing an "imminent" public health crisis as it runs out of water, WHO warns From CNN’s Pierre Meilhan The World Health Organization warned Monday that Gaza faces an “imminent” public health crisis as the enclave is running out of water. The limited amount of water available is creating a desperate situation as the lives of more than 3,500 patients in 35 hospitals located in the Palestinian enclave are at immediate risk, the WHO said via the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The organization also called for “unobstructed access for humanitarian aid into Gaza.” 1:41 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023 Government memo says US is tracking hundreds of citizens trying to leave Gaza From CNN's Priscilla Alvarez The US Embassy in Cairo is tracking 253 US citizens, with 153 “associated family members,” requesting help to depart Gaza via the Rafah border crossing, according to an internal government memo obtained by CNN. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised Sunday that “Rafah will be open” after meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and announced President Joe Biden’s appointment of former Ambassador David Satterfield to help coordinate the US aid efforts. But hurdles remain. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said there has been no progress in efforts to open the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza on Monday, placing the blame for the continued closure of the crossing on Israel. In the memo, officials conveyed earlier warnings from the embassy, saying the situation at the Rafah crossing “will remain fluid and unpredictable, and it is unclear whether, or for how long, travelers will be permitted to transit the crossing.” CNN has reached out to the State Department for comment. 5:04 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023 Hamas releases video of 21-year-old French-Israeli woman it claims is being held hostage From CNN's Kevin Flower and Jeremy Diamond Hamas released a video Monday night of a young French-Israeli woman being held hostage in the Gaza Strip. In the video, Mia Schem, 21, says she suffered an arm injury and was brought to Gaza. A representative for Schem’s family told CNN they had approved the publication and broadcast of the video. This is the first video Hamas has released of any of the hostages held in Gaza. Israeli authorities have said that they believe 199 people are being held in Gaza, while a representative of Hamas said Monday that at least between 200-250 captives are being held across the strip. The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that it had informed Schem’s family about her kidnapping last week and are keeping in touch with them at this time. They said further that they are using “all intelligence and operational means to return the abductees” and that “Hamas is trying to present itself as a humanitarian organization while acting as a hideous terrorist organization responsible for killing and kidnapping infants, women, children and the elderly.” A representative of Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ militant branch, earlier said the group was “committed” to protecting hostages and that it would release hostages with foreign citizenship when “the opportunity arises on the ground.” Schem’s mother, Keren Schem, said she had hoped her daughter was alive before seeing the video. Keren Schem said she began to believe her daughter was abducted on October 7 after word of the Hamas attacks began to spread, remarking that her family has been doing “everything alone” to work for the return of her daughter, including opening up a “communication center.” 2:06 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023 These are the areas where Israel has warned 1.1 million Palestinians to evacuate From CNN staff An estimated 1.1 million people live in Gaza City and surrounding parts of the northern Gaza Strip, where the Israeli military has warned civilians to leave before a new phase in its war with Hamas. The map below shows the densely populated areas included in Israel’s advisory. It also shows the Rafah crossing to Egypt (bottom-left) — the only option for people trying to leave Gaza entirely, as Israel has tightened its long-established blockade on the territory and completely closed its border crossings. 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October 17, 2023 - Israel-Hamas war news




Updated
1:06 AM EDT, Wed October 18, 2023









Video shows devastation from Gaza hospital blast

Video shows devastation from Gaza hospital blast












What we covered here






Hundreds of people are believed to be dead following a strike on a hospital in Gaza. Palestinian officials blamed ongoing Israeli airstrikes for the lethal incident, while a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said a Palestinian Islamic Jihad group is responsible for a “failed rocket launch” that hit the hospital.





The blast resulted in Jordan canceling a planned Wednesday summit between US President Joe Biden and the leaders of Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority. A White House official said Biden will not travel to Jordan.





Biden is still en route to Israel as part of his planned visit, where he seeks to demonstrate staunch support for the country while also pressing for ways to ease humanitarian suffering in Gaza as water and food supplies dwindle for hundreds of thousands of displaced people.





Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, in response to the October 7 terrorist attacks that killed 1,400 people. At least 3,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since last Saturday, according to the Palestinian health officials.





Here’s how to help humanitarian efforts in Israel and Gaza.




















5:52 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023

















4:36 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023
Aftermath of Gaza hospital blast is "unparalleled and indescribable," Palestinian Ministry of Health says

From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq









The situation following a deadly blast at a hospital in Gaza is “unparalleled and indescribable,” said Dr. Ashraf Al-Qudra, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Ministry of Health.



Al-Qudra said in a statement on Wednesday (local time) that the blast killed hundreds of people “and ambulance crews are still removing body parts as most of the victims are children and women.”



He noted that the number of victims and their injuries “exceeded the capabilities of medical teams and ambulances.”



Al-Qudra added: “Doctors were performing surgeries on the ground and in the corridors, some of them without anesthesia and a large number of injured people are still waiting for operations, and the medical teams are trying to save their lives in intensive care.”



More context: Hundreds of people are believed to be dead following a strike on a hospital in Gaza. Palestinian officials blamed ongoing Israeli airstrikes for the lethal incident, while a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said a Palestinian Islamic Jihad group is responsible for a “failed rocket launch” that hit the hospital.














4:27 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023
Palestinian ambassador to UN accuses Israel of being behind Gaza hospital blast

From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq




Ambassador Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian Observer to the United Nations, accused Israel of carrying out the deadly blast at the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza on Tuesday.



He said Israeli officials were being dishonest in blaming Palestinian Islamic Jihad for the blast. 





The Israel Defense Forces said earlier on Tuesday that their intelligence shows a “failed rocket launch” by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group was responsible for the explosion that left hundreds dead.














6:06 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023
Church that funds Gaza hospital condemns blast, says Gaza deprived of safe havens  

From CNN’s Kareem Khadder




The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem condemned the deadly explosion that took place at the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza Tuesday, according to a statement.



The diocese oversees the board and administration for the hospital and exclusively funds the facility through the Anglican Church via international donations.



The diocese said they were observing a global day of fasting and prayers to end the conflict that “was marred by a brutal attack” on the hospital, the statement read. 



The diocese announced a day of mourning in all of its churches and institutions. 



“Gaza remains bereft of safe havens,” the diocese said, and called the blast a crime against humanity in their statement. 





The diocese also said “the devastation witnessed, coupled with the sacrilegious targeting of the church, strikes at the very core of human decency,” adding that “we assert unequivocally that this is deserving international condemnation and retribution.” 



This post has been updated with additional information.














4:42 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023
US State Department warns Americans not to travel to Lebanon

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler









The US State Department issued a travel advisory Tuesday warning Americans not to travel to Lebanon.



The department will allow family members and some non-emergency US government personnel from the embassy in Beirut to voluntarily depart the country “due to the unpredictable security situation.”



The travel advisory level for Lebanon was raised to Level 4: Do Not Travel on Tuesday “due to the unpredictable security situation related to rocket, missile, and artillery exchanges between Israel and Hizballah or other armed militant factions,” according to an updated advisory.



The advisory made note of the fact that “large demonstrations have erupted in the wake of recent violence in Israel and Gaza.”





The advisory warned that “U.S. citizens who choose to travel to Lebanon should be aware that consular officers from the U.S. Embassy are not always able to travel to assist them.”



“The Department of State considers the threat to U.S. government personnel in Beirut sufficiently serious to require them to live and work under strict security. The internal security policies of the U.S. Embassy may be adjusted at any time and without advance notice,” the advisory read.



Last week, the State Department raised the travel advisory for Israel to Level 3: Reconsider Travel. The advisory for Gaza remains at the most severe – Level 4: Do Not Travel.



Read more on the State Department’s advisory.














3:18 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023
White House says Israel feels "very strongly" they did not cause hospital explosion

From CNN's Nikki Carvajal




Israel feels “very strongly” they did not cause the explosion at a hospital in Gaza, the White House said Tuesday.





He said US President Joe Biden spoke with “all the leaders involved” about his trip to the region Tuesday afternoon “so that all of them could make a collective decision about the value of continuing.”



Asked if the US was giving Israel the “benefit of the doubt,” Kirby declined to weigh in on where the administration thinks responsibility lies for the blast.



Biden has directed the national security team to gather as much information and context as possible “so that we can learn more about what happened,” Kirby said.



As for the cancellation of Biden’s trip to Amman, Jordan, Kirby said it was a “mutual decision” between Jordanian and US officials.



Biden was set to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and others in Jordan, but Abbas canceled his meeting with Biden earlier Tuesday.



The White House said that was due to a three-day mourning period.





Asked why the president didn’t push his trip back until after the three-day mourning period, Kirby said there was still a “pretty robust agenda” for Biden on the ground in Israel.



“He wants to have these discussions directly with Prime Minister Netanyahu and the war cabinet,” Kirby said. “He’s looking forward to having an opportunity to thank the first responders, he obviously feels it’s important, as is his normal desire, to talk to family members who are suffering and anxious and worried and grieving.”



“Even though the Amman portion isn’t going to happen — again for perfectly understandable reasons — that doesn’t negate the reason for going,” Kirby said.














2:56 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023
State Department: About 1,500 citizens and family members have departed Israel on US-chartered transportation

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler




Around 1,500 US citizens and their family members have departed from Israel on US government-chartered transport, a State Department spokesperson told CNN Tuesday.





They added that “U.S. government-facilitated flights are scheduled to continue on a rolling basis from Ben Gurion International Airport through at least Sunday, October 22.”



“The departure options we have offered have generally departed at half capacity or less,” they said.



They said “thousands of U.S. citizens have reached out via our online form or via phone since October 7,” but “many have not sought to depart.”





“We are not in a position to share detailed breakdowns of the number of U.S. citizens seeking departure assistance, or the number of U.S. citizens whose departure we have facilitated, given this is an unfolding situation,” they added.














3:10 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023
Countries condemn Gaza hospital blast

From CNN’s Sophia Saifi in Islamabad and Mariya Knight and Martin Goillandeau




Several nations condemned the deadly blast that likely killed hundreds of people in Gaza City.



France said it “strongly condemns the strike against the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City, which caused a very high number of Palestinian civilian casualties,” according to statement from the country’s Foreign Ministry.





Pakistan called the deadly blast an “Israeli attack” and the Israeli military was “inhumane and indefensible” for “attacking a hospital, where civilians were seeking shelter and emergency treatment,” according to a statement from the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. CNN has not independently confirmed the cause of the blast.





Pakistan called for “the international community to take urgent measures to bring an immediate end to the Israeli bombardment and siege of Gaza and the impunity with which Israeli authorities have operated in the last few days,” the statement read.



Israel and Hamas each blamed the other side for the blast.














3:02 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023
Officials downplay expectations for deliverables for Biden's shortened trip

From CNN's Kayla Tausche and MJ Lee









When President Joe Biden touches down in Israel for a high-security wartime visit, his focus will be on managing a complicated situation and less on securing clear deliverables, according to two sources close to the matter. It’s a clear signal of the White House seeking to manage expectations after a major portion of the trip was scrapped at the last-minute. 



The presence of Biden, who places a premium on personal diplomacy, is meant to show solidarity with the United States’s closest allies and to deter rogue actors in the region from opening up a second front in the war. 



But the sudden cancelation Tuesday night of a major summit with Arab leaders in Jordan posed additional challenges for the president, who had hoped to return to the US after having firmly established a way for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. 



The visit to Israel carries significant risks – both physical and political – with active conflict and asymmetric information.  



A blast at a Gaza hospital Tuesday that Palestinian officials say left hundreds dead led to a last-minute briefing by the president’s top national security advisers and a phone call with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is still traveling in the Middle East, to assess the intelligence available.



But no conclusion was drawn about who was behind the attack, CNN has learned, with the president instructing his team to continue evaluating the available information. 



The blast – which led to the cancellation of a summit between Biden and Arab leaders in Jordan – was always seen as a possible, and to some extent even probable, risk of such a visit, and the president’s team concluded that the merits of the trip outweighed those risks. 



Even as conflicting claims were coming in about who was responsible for the devastating hospital blast in Gaza and the second half of Biden’s trip was scrapped altogether, multiple sources told CNN that the president’s top advisers did not come close on Tuesday to canceling the Israel portion of the trip. 





The president will be meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and his War Cabinet to glean information about what security assistance the US can provide, and he will be assessing the humanitarian situation – with discussions continuing about sending aid into Gaza and allowing refugees to cross through the Rafah crossing into Egypt. 



Despite ongoing discussions with Israel and other partners, sources downplayed the expectation that the visit would result immediately in a refugee deal or the release of American hostages in Hamas custody. 














3:44 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023
IDF to release more evidence to prove Israel was not responsible for Gaza hospital blast, spokesperson says

From CNN's Heather Law in Atlanta




Israel will release additional evidence to prove they were not responsible for the hospital blast in Gaza that left hundreds dead, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, told CNN Tuesday evening. 



Israel has already released footage captured by a UAV to international media, Conricus said, and they plan to release additional intelligence of an intercepted conversation between Palestinian militants that they understand there was a rocket that had misfired. 



Conricus added that the IDF went through their own systems to confirm they did not fire at that location and that there was no misfire from Israel. 



Conricus said an investigation into the blast revealed that the Islamic Jihad had fired a barrage of rockets toward northern or central Israel, and at least one of them misfired, landed on the ground and exploded.



Conricus also refuted claims that the blast could have been the result of an iron dome interception that caused the rocket to explode and land, saying this “has also been categorically denied.” 



“That is not the case, and we do not intercept rockets over Gaza,” he stated. 





Israel has already briefed US military officials on this intelligence ahead of US President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel on Wednesday, Conricus said.














2:13 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023
Biden plans to ask Israel tough questions "as a friend" during Tel Aviv visit, White House says

From CNN's Betsy Klein




US President Joe Biden plans to ask “tough questions” as a “friend” to Israel when he spends his Wednesday in Tel Aviv — a trip meant as a forceful public show of support, but also a push for easing a growing humanitarian crisis. 



Biden will first meet with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a restricted bilateral meeting, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters aboard Air Force One in a preview of Wednesday’s trip. That meeting will later broaden to include other US officials and the Israeli War Cabinet.  



In those meetings, Kirby said the president is “going to get a sense from the Israelis about the situation on the ground, and, more critically, their objectives, their plans, their intentions in the days and weeks ahead.”





Pressed later on what those tough questions would be, Kirby said it would not be “adversarial” but rather, “in the spirit of a true, deep friend of Israel.”



The president will “make it clear that we continue to want to see this conflict not widen, not expand, not deepen,” Kirby said, pointing to a “strong signal” from the US with additional military capability. Biden is also expected to discuss Israel’s needs and “make it clear that we will do everything we can to meet those needs,” Kirby said. 



Hostages held by Hamas will also be a key topic of discussion, Kirby said, as Biden seeks to find out more from his Israeli counterparts about “where they are, what condition they are in, if they are being moved.” 



And he will make the case for a “sustained” humanitarian situation in Gaza, Kirby added. 



“We want to see humanitarian assistance flow in — and it’s not just a one and done — we want to see it be able to be sustained: food, water, obviously electrical power, medicine, all the things that the people of Gaza are going to continue to need as this conflict continues to go on. So he’ll make that case very, very clearly,” he said, adding that Special Envoy David Satterfield is “now on the ground” working with Israeli and Egyptian counterparts. 



Later Wednesday, Biden will meet with some families impacted by the violence of the past week, including some who have lost loved ones in Israel, and some who “still don’t know the fate of their loved ones.” Some of those family members have loved ones who are being held hostage, though it was not immediately clear whether they are Americans. 



After that, Biden will make public remarks in Tel Aviv, which will be covered by traveling press. And he is also expected to “speak directly” with Israel President Isaac Herzog. 



Though Biden’s trip to Amman, Jordan, was canceled, Biden is expected to speak with leaders in the region on Wednesday night as he returns to Washington.



“The President intends to speak with both (Palestinian Authority) President Mahmoud Abbas and (Egypt) President (Abdel Fattah el-) Sisi on the flight home,” Kirby said. 















2:00 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023
German Chancellor's plane evacuated after air raid alert in Israel, Reuters video shows

From CNN's Mitchell McCluskey









German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was evacuated from his plane shortly before takeoff in Israel due to an air raid alert late Tuesday night, a Reuters correspondent traveling with the chancellor reported.  



Video recorded by Reuters shows Scholz and his staff quickly entering a vehicle on the tarmac of Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv after disembarking the plane.  



Scholz arrived in Israel on Tuesday and met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express Germany’s solidarity with Israel. Scholz is set to travel to Egypt to meet with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Wednesday. 



CNN has reached out to the Chancellor’s office for comment.  














1:50 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023
Canadian officials: International negotiators seem to be closer to securing humanitarian corridor out of Gaza

From CNN’s Paula Newton in Ottawa




Canadian officials say that while the Rafah crossing remains extremely dangerous, they are encouraged that they and international negotiators seem to be getting closer to establishing a humanitarian corridor out of Gaza and into Egypt.  





Lévêque declined to provide any details of the negotiations but said they involved Egypt, the United Nation, the US and other nations.



Canadian officials cautioned that the window to leave will likely be short and they confirmed that they are in touch with about 370 Canadians or “Canadian entitled” people needing to leave Gaza. 



Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reacted to the hospital blast in Gaza, again calling on all parties to respect international law.



“The news coming out of Gaza is horrific and absolutely unacceptable,” Trudeau told reporters, shortly after he received news of the hospital bombing Tuesday.



“International humanitarian and international law needs to be respected in this and in all cases,” he added. “There are rules around wars and it’s not acceptable.”














1:47 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023
The US and Israel continue efforts to locate impacted Americans in the Middle East, FBI director says






US and Israeli officials continue to work together to “locate and identify all Americans who’ve been impacted in the region including those who remain unaccounted for,” FBI Director Christopher Wray told reporters Tuesday.



He said the FBI continues to partner with state and local law enforcement agencies to mitigate all threats they have identified within the US.



Asked what the FBI has been able to discern about the preparation and planning of Hamas’ attack in Israel, Wray said “those are absolutely topics that we’ve been discussing as partners in our private meetings.”



He didn’t elaborate further.



Over the weekend, Wray told reporters the FBI has seen an increase in reported threats in the US amid the Israel-Hamas war. Most threats have been deemed not credible by the agency, a senior FBI official said during the call, but Jewish and Muslim institutions have been targeted.














1:31 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023
UN Human Rights chief says deaths from Gaza hospital blast are "unacceptable"

From CNN’s Richard Roth 




UN Human Rights chief Volker Tur said the Gaza hospital blast that left at least hundreds of people dead was “unacceptable,” according to a statement released on Tuesday from the Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. 





Hospitals are sacrosanct and the killings and violence must stop, Turk said. He added those responsible for the hospital blast must be held accountable.



Turk urged all states with influence to do everything in their power to stop the current situation. 



“Civilians must be protected, and humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach those in need as a matter of urgency. Those found responsible must be held to account,” he said.














1:24 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023
Airstrikes near northern Gaza heard by CNN crew

From CNN's Nic Robertson




Multiple airstrikes in the direction of northern Gaza were heard in Sderot, Israel, by CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson in the early hours of Wednesday morning local time. 



The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have not yet commented on strikes. 














1:39 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023
The US is analyzing Israeli intelligence about Gaza hospital blast

From CNN's Oren Liebermann









The US is analyzing intelligence provided by Israel on the explosion at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza, according to an Israeli official and another source familiar with the matter.





US intelligence officials are working to understand the explosion at the hospital in Gaza that left hundreds of people dead. Palestinian officials have accused Israel of the attack while Israel has blamed Palestinian Islamic Jihad for a failed rocket launch.



The Israeli official said Israel provided the US with signals intelligence, which includes intercepted communications and other forms of data collected through various means.



The National Security Agency, which handles signals intelligence in the US, declined to comment. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not immediately respond to a request for comment.



FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a news conference Tuesday afternoon that international intelligence officials are closely monitoring the ongoing situation in Middle East “and we remain laser focused on protecting the citizens of all our countries.” 














1:04 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023
Gaza hospital blast leaves hundreds dead as Israeli blockade cripples medical response. Here's the latest 

From CNN's Jessie Yeung, Tara John and Zahid Mahmood,









Palestinian officials said hundreds were killed by a massive blast at a Gaza hospital on Tuesday, as humanitarian concerns mount over Israel’s deprivation of food, fuel and electricity to the enclave’s population.



Here are key things to know about today’s developments:



The blast: Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital was sheltering thousands of displaced people when it was bombed Tuesday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement. Many victims are still under the rubble, it added.



Hamas, which controls the enclave, said more than 500 people were killed by the bombing. The Palestinian Health Ministry earlier said preliminary estimates indicate that between 200 to 300 people died in the attack.



Palestinian officials blamed ongoing Israeli airstrikes for the lethal incident. But the Israel Defense Forces has “categorically” denied any involvement in the hospital attack, blaming instead a “failed rocket launch” by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, a rival Islamist militant group in Gaza.



Impacted hospitals: Gaza has been under siege by Israel for more than a week, in response to the deadly incursion by Hamas, the Islamist militant group that controls the coastal enclave, home to 2.2 million people. Hospitals meanwhile are struggling to tend to the wounded across the territory, operating with shortages of electricity and water.



Israeli bombardment has killed at least 3,000 people, including 1,032 girls and 940 boys, and wounded 12,500 in Gaza, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said Tuesday. Casualties in Gaza over the past 10 days have now surpassed the number of those killed during the 51-day Gaza-Israel conflict in 2014.



While the IDF has said it does not target hospitals, the UN and Doctors Without Borders say Israeli airstrikes have struck medical facilities, including hospitals and ambulances. 



Health services within Gaza are on the brink and food and water supplies are running low. Twenty out of 23 hospitals were offering partial services because fuel reserves are “almost totally depleted,” the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) warned on Tuesday.



Closed crossing: Urgent calls for help are growing on both sides of a closed crossing as aid amasses on the Egyptian side of the border. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday said the the United States and Israel “have agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organizations to reach civilians in Gaza.” 



But on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, a miles long convoy of humanitarian assistance awaiting entry into Gaza, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told CNN that “until now, there is no safe passage that has been granted” as they do not “have any authorization or clear, secure routes for those convoys to be able to enter safely and without any possibility of their being targeted.”



Read more about the conflict.

















1:13 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023
Protests break out around Middle East and North Africa after Gaza hospital blast

From CNN's Ben Wedeman in Beirut, Aqeel Najim in Baghdad and Caroline Faraj, Jomana Karadsheh, Mohammed Tawfeeq and Adam Pourahmadi 









Several countries in the Middle East saw protesters march after hundreds of people died in an explosion at a hospital in Gaza. Israel and Hamas each blamed the other side for the blast.



Preliminary estimates indicate hundreds of people have been killed in the explosion at the Gaza hospital, which was sheltering thousands of displaced people who were forcibly evacuated from their homes by the “occupation,” the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said in a statement. 



Here’s a look at protests erupting across the Middle East:



In Jordan, hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in the western part of the capital, Amman, Tuesday night as a group gathered near the Israeli embassy in the Rabieh area in an attempt to “reach it,” but security forces dealt with them and pushed them away, a security source told CNN on Tuesday. Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency also reported the protesters attempts to reach the embassy.



Jordanian security forces used tear gas to disperse crowds in Amman, two activists told CNN, a claim backed up by social media videos that also show security forces using tear gas to push protesters back from the embassy.



There have been almost daily protests near the Israeli embassy over the past week to protest Israeli strikes on Gaza.








In Lebanon, hundreds of protesters gathered in the square that leads to the US embassy north of Beirut on Tuesday and tried to break through security barriers, according to a CNN team there.








In Iraq, hundreds of people took to the streets in Baghdad chanting anti-Israel slogans. Security officials in Baghdad told CNN that dozens of protesters attempted to cross a bridge that leads to Green Zone, but security forces prevented them from crossing it. Baghdad’s Green Zone houses Iraqi government offices and several embassies, including US embassy. 








In Iran, protests also took place outside the French and British embassies in Tehran, the country’s cemoapital. Demonstrators could be heard chanting “death to France, England, America, and the Zionists,” according to a video published by Iran state-run RNA news on Wednesday morning.



Rallies also took place in other cities, including Esfahan and Qom.



In Tunisia, hundreds of people rallied in several areas in Tunis, the capital, following the hospital blast, according to the state-run TAP news agency on Tuesday. TAP said “mass protests were held on Tuesday night,” in several areas “in solidarity with the Palestinian people” and against the Israeli aggression on Gaza.














1:10 a.m. GMT, October 18, 2023
In photos: The aftermath of a bombing of a hospital in Gaza

From CNN's Jessie Yeung, Tara John, Zahid Mahmood and Will Lanzoni




Editor’s Note: This post contains graphic images.



Hundreds of people were killed by a massive blast at a Gaza hospital on Tuesday, according to Palestinian officials. Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital was sheltering thousands of displaced people when it was bombed, the Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement. 



Palestinian officials blamed ongoing Israeli airstrikes, but the Israel Defense Forces has denied any involvement, instead saying the bombing was caused by a “failed rocket launch” from a Palestinian Islamic Jihad group.



Meanwhile, health services within Gaza are on the brink and food and water supplies are running low. 



Here’s what the situation looks like in photos:








































































































































































































































































































































































































































































7:45 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023
21 killed in Israeli airstrikes on residence in Khan Younis, Palestinian interior ministry says

From CNN’s Eyad Kourdi




An Israeli airstrike on a residence in Gaza killed 21 people, Palestine’s Ministry of Interior Affairs said Tuesday.



The strike hit the Al-Jabri family’s residence in the Emirati neighborhood of Khan Younis, the Gaza-based ministry said in a statement. A number of others were injured, but the ministry did not provide an exact figure.



Khan Younis is in southern Gaza, which has become increasingly crowded with displaced civilians after Israel told people to evacuate northern Gaza.



IDF international spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told CNN’s John Vause earlier that he was “not aware of any strikes specifically in those areas but they could have happened.”












7:59 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023
84,000 pregnant women at risk in Gaza with aid stalled at Rafah crossing, World Health Organization says

From CNN’s Mihir Melwani









The World Health Organization is unable to get aid and supplies to Gaza, potentially putting 84,000 pregnant women at risk, a spokesperson told CNN.



There are “78 cubic meters of health supplies, which is enough for the basic essential needs for 300,000 people” positioned on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, which is currently closed, WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris told CNN’s John Vause.



The WHO’s director-general had an agreement with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to open the crossing, but Israeli bombing has rendered the passage unsafe, she said.





There are 84,000 pregnant women in Gaza, with many delivering every day, Harris told Vause. “Babies don’t care about bombs, they come when they come,” she said.



Several hospitals are “out of action due to the physical damage of the bombing,” Harris said, noting that the WHO has documented over 44 attacks on hospitals.










7:53 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023
Japan announces $10 million in emergency assistance for Gaza civilians

From CNN’s Mayumi Maruyama









Japan will provide $10 million in emergency assistance for civilians in Gaza, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said in a press conference on Tuesday. 



The assistance will come “through international organizations,” Kamikawa added.



“Japan will work with humanitarian groups to ensure that innocent civilians and Palestinian refugees receive food, water, medical care, and support they need,” she said.



The foreign minister reiterated Japan’s firm condemnation of Hamas’s attacks and expressed support for diplomatic efforts.  










7:38 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023
Biden visit will not complicate or delay potential Gaza ground incursion, IDF says

From CNN’s Mihir Melwani









The Israeli military does not expect a planned visit by US President Joe Biden to complicate or delay any ground invasion of Gaza, a spokesperson told CNN on Tuesday.



Israel Defense Forces international spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told CNN’s John Vause he believes Biden supports Israel’s campaign to defeat Hamas.





Biden is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Wednesday.










6:19 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023
Israeli airstrikes on Rafah kill at least 28 people, Palestinian interior ministry says

From CNN’s Abeer Salman, Kareem El Damanhoury and Larry Register




Israeli airstrikes killed at least 28 people in Rafah early Tuesday, according to a statement by the Palestinian Ministry of Interior.



Another statement from the ministry said airstrikes also killed and injured people in Khan Yunis, but did not provide an exact number.



A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would not confirm whether they launched strikes in those areas.



IDF international spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told CNN’s John Vause he was “not aware of any strikes specifically in those areas but they could have happened.”



“The combat operations continue. We continue to hunt Hamas operatives to attempt to degrade their military capabilities,” Conricus said.



He said the hunt for Hamas targets is part of “the war that has been forced upon us” and Israel will continue military operations “according to the law of armed conflict and of course to minimize civilian casualties.










6:06 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023
UN Security Council rejects Russian resolution on humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza that fails to condemn Hamas

From CNN's Richard Roth and Heather Law









The United Nations Security Council on Monday rejected a Russian resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire of the war between Israel and Hamas because the draft did not get the required minimum number of votes to be passed. 



The resolution received five votes in favor, four against and six abstentions, with the United States, the United Kingdom and France voting against due the resolution’s failure to condemn Hamas for its attacks on Israel. The draft would have needed nine votes in favor to proceed. 



“By failing to condemn Hamas, Russia is giving cover to a terrorist group that brutalizes innocent civilians. It is outrageous, it is hypocritical, and it is indefensible,” US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said in justification to the US’ vote. She previously compared the attacks executed by Hamas to the “most heinous atrocities committed by ISIS.”





France’s Permanent Representative to the UN Nicolas de Rivière said “several essential elements were lacking” from Russia’s draft resolution and instead encouraged the council to “unite around the draft proposed by the Brazilian presidency, and agree to condemn this terrorist attack, ensure humanitarian assistance and protect the civilian population of Gaza.”



Russia’s Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya claimed the resolution failed to get adopted because of the western bloc’s selfish intentions.



“The UN Security Council has once again become hostage to the aspirations of Western countries by not adopting the Russian Federation’s draft resolution on the Middle East,” Nebenzya stated, according to Russian state media RIA Novosti.



Moscow has previously criticized Israel’s actions and called for a ceasefire.










7:21 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023
It's morning in Israel and Gaza. Here's what you need to know

From CNN staff









Te Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt remains closed, leaving humanitarian supplies piling up on the Egyptian side of the border.



Neither Gazans nor foreign nationals have been able to cross, and Egypt’s foreign minister is placing the blame on Israel, saying there has been no progress in efforts to open the crossing — the only viable outlet to get people out and vital supplies in.



A family of five Palestinian-Americans said they waited for several hours to cross the border, but remain stuck in Gaza with limited supplies and electricity.



The UN says its agencies have supplies at the ready to move into southern Gaza, while the EU is launching a humanitarian air bridge operation to Egypt that will bring supplies to the enclave, the European Commission president said.



Early Tuesday, Egyptian state-affiliated media outlet Al-Qahera News reported that humanitarian aid convoys were moving toward the Rafah crossing.



Here’s what else to know:







Biden trip: US President Joe Biden will visit Israel on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced in the early hours of Tuesday from Tel Aviv. Biden had been deliberating whether to make a wartime visit to Israel, a trip fraught with risk that could stand as a dramatic show of support for a top US ally while sending a warning to other countries in the region against escalation.





Aid plan: The US and Israel “have agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organizations to reach civilians in Gaza,” Blinken announced Tuesday. But it is unclear if any progress was made on the opening of the Rafah crossing.





Dwindling water supply: The director of Gaza’s water authority said Monday that water supply has not yet been restored to the enclave. The WHO warned that people in Gaza face an “imminent” public health crisis, saying the limited amount of water is creating a desperate situation as the lives of more than 3,500 patients in 35 hospitals are at immediate risk.





Israeli strikes: At least five people were killed and 15 others injured in an Israeli airstrike on a house in Rafah, the Palestinian interior ministry said. The ministry said the strike on the southern city happened without prior warning. The Israel Defense Forces issued guidance Friday, telling all civilians in northern Gaza to evacuate southward. Some Palestinians who followed the warnings and fled their homes in search of safety were killed by Israeli airstrikes outside of the evacuation zone. 












Hostages latest: Hamas is holding up to 250 hostages captured during its October 7 attack, according to a spokesperson for the group’s armed wing. He added they cannot determine the exact number of hostages due to constant Israeli airstrikes, which he claimed had killed 22 captives. CNN cannot verify the claims. The Israeli military said Monday at least 199 people are being held hostage in Gaza. 





Regional conflict fears: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the conflict in Israel risks spilling over regionally. Meanwhile, Israel ordered the evacuation of 28 villages within 2 kilometers of the border with Lebanon amid an exchange of fire with Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Other world leaders, including UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said they are working to prevent an escalation.





US support: The Pentagon has ordered that roughly 2,000 troops prepare for a potential deployment to Israel to help with tasks like medical and logistical support, according to multiple defense officials. A US Marine rapid response force is also headed to the waters off the coast of Israel, according to a defense official. While the US is bolstering its presence in the Middle East, US officials have made clear there are no plans for US troops to become directly involved in any Israeli military operations against Hamas.






Sign up for CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East, a three-times-a-week newsletter that explores the region’s biggest stories.










5:48 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023
Aid convoys in Egypt are moving toward Gaza border crossing, state media says

From CNN's Kareem El Damanhoury and Sarah Sirgany









Humanitarian aid convoys in El-Arish are moving toward the Rafah border crossing in Gaza, Egyptian state-affiliated media outlet Al-Qahera News reported early Tuesday local time.



El-Arish is about 45 kilometers (28 miles) from the Rafah border crossing. 



Earlier Monday, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said there has been no progress in efforts to open the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza, while the Israeli prime minister’s office denied there were any arrangements for its opening.



Airplanes carrying aid from Jordan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the World Health Organization and the Red Cross have arrived at El-Arish since Thursday.










7:45 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023
US and Israel agree to develop aid plan for civilians in Gaza, Blinken says

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler, Kevin Liptak, MJ Lee and Kayla Tausche









The United States and Israel “have agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organizations to reach civilians in Gaza,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced during his visit to Israel Tuesday.



However, it is unclear if any progress was made on the opening of the Rafah crossing — the only viable route to access Gaza.



Blinken said the agreement to work on the plan was done at the US’ request, and they “welcome the government of Israel’s commitment to work on this plan.”





US President Joe Biden “very much looks forward to discussing it further” during his visit to Israel, Blinken said.










5:33 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023
President Biden to visit Israel in high-stakes trip

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler, Kevin Liptak, MJ Lee and Kayla Tausche









The White House is confronting a new war that has required an immediate reorienting of President Joe Biden’s priorities and schedule, including a trip this week to Israel and Jordan as the situation in the Middle East grows ever more urgent.



Biden’s upcoming trip, announced by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken from Tel Aviv in the early hours of Tuesday, follows an extensive day of meetings in Israel by the top US diplomat that included a seven-and-a-half hour meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet.



Biden’s visit will build on Blinken’s seven nation, multi-day tour of the Middle East, which comes as the US tries to strike a delicate balance of providing unwavering support for Israel’s military operations while mitigating the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and stopping the war from spreading to further fronts.



Biden had been deliberating whether to make the wartime visit to Israel, a trip fraught with risk that could stand as a dramatic show of support for a top US ally while sending a warning to other countries in the region against escalation. Aides said the president has expressed a strong interest in making the journey after being invited over the weekend by Netanyahu, whom Biden has known for four decades.



The US president will also travel to Jordan, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, where he will meet with King Abdullah II, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The top US diplomat in recent days met separately with the three leaders — all of whom have condemned the situation in Gaza.





Read more about Biden’s visit to Israel.










5:36 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023
Israel won't stop until it "destroys the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas," Netanyahu says 

From CNN’s Hadas Gold









Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday that Israel won’t stop until it destroys Hamas’s military and governmental capabilities, according to a statement from the office of the prime minister. 





Earlier Monday, Putin spoke with leaders from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Syria, Iran and Egypt where he addressed the escalating Israel-Hamas conflict.



Putin told Netanyahu that Russia is ready to help end the conflict peacefully, by diplomatic means, according to a Kremlin readout of the call. 










1:57 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023
US Marine rapid response force headed to waters near Israel

From CNN's Natasha Bertrand and Oren Liebermann




A US Marine rapid response force is headed to the waters off the coast of Israel and the Pentagon is preparing American troops for a potential deployment to the country, escalating the US’ show of force in the region as it works to prevent the conflict between Israel and Hamas from widening any further.



A defense official familiar with the planning said the rapid response force, consisting of 2,000 Marines and sailors, is being sent. It will join a growing number of US warships and forces converging on Israel as the US seeks to send a message of deterrence to Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.



On Sunday evening, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ordered that roughly 2,000 troops prepare for a potential deployment to Israel to help with tasks like medical and logistical support, multiple defense officials said.



Taken together, the moves are aimed at forestalling a wider regional war, officials said. But they also risk deepening the US’ involvement in a conflict in which the Biden administration is trying to avoid direct military action.



Officials have stressed that the US has no plans to put American boots on the ground to fight in the war between Israel and Hamas, which Israeli officials have warned could be prolonged and difficult.



But the planning and movements offer a window into the kind of assistance the US might provide, including managing logistics away from the front lines and offering medical support. That could be particularly valuable if Israel launches a ground invasion of Gaza, which could be complicated and bloody, experts have warned.



The decisions also come as the US military has been steadily bolstering its presence in Middle East, including deploying a second aircraft carrier to the eastern Mediterranean Sea to join the USS Ford strike carrier group there, and sending Air Force fighter jets to the region.



Read more about troop preparations.










1:43 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023
Gaza is facing an "imminent" public health crisis as it runs out of water, WHO warns

From CNN’s Pierre Meilhan




The World Health Organization warned Monday that Gaza faces an “imminent” public health crisis as the enclave is running out of water.



The limited amount of water available is creating a desperate situation as the lives of more than 3,500 patients in 35 hospitals located in the Palestinian enclave are at immediate risk, the WHO said via the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.



The organization also called for “unobstructed access for humanitarian aid into Gaza.”












1:41 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023
Government memo says US is tracking hundreds of citizens trying to leave Gaza

From CNN's Priscilla Alvarez




The US Embassy in Cairo is tracking 253 US citizens, with 153 “associated family members,” requesting help to depart Gaza via the Rafah border crossing, according to an internal government memo obtained by CNN.



US Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised Sunday that “Rafah will be open” after meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and announced President Joe Biden’s appointment of former Ambassador David Satterfield to help coordinate the US aid efforts. 





But hurdles remain. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said there has been no progress in efforts to open the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza on Monday, placing the blame for the continued closure of the crossing on Israel. 



In the memo, officials conveyed earlier warnings from the embassy, saying the situation at the Rafah crossing “will remain fluid and unpredictable, and it is unclear whether, or for how long, travelers will be permitted to transit the crossing.”  



CNN has reached out to the State Department for comment.










5:04 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023
Hamas releases video of 21-year-old French-Israeli woman it claims is being held hostage

From CNN's Kevin Flower and Jeremy Diamond




Hamas released a video Monday night of a young French-Israeli woman being held hostage in the Gaza Strip.



In the video, Mia Schem, 21, says she suffered an arm injury and was brought to Gaza. 



A representative for Schem’s family told CNN they had approved the publication and broadcast of the video.



This is the first video Hamas has released of any of the hostages held in Gaza. Israeli authorities have said that they believe 199 people are being held in Gaza, while a representative of Hamas said Monday that at least between 200-250 captives are being held across the strip.



The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that it had informed Schem’s family about her kidnapping last week and are keeping in touch with them at this time.



They said further that they are using “all intelligence and operational means to return the abductees” and that “Hamas is trying to present itself as a humanitarian organization while acting as a hideous terrorist organization responsible for killing and kidnapping infants, women, children and the elderly.”



A representative of Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ militant branch, earlier said the group was “committed” to protecting hostages and that it would release hostages with foreign citizenship when “the opportunity arises on the ground.”



Schem’s mother, Keren Schem, said she had hoped her daughter was alive before seeing the video.





Keren Schem said she began to believe her daughter was abducted on October 7 after word of the Hamas attacks began to spread, remarking that her family has been doing “everything alone” to work for the return of her daughter, including opening up a “communication center.”










2:06 a.m. GMT, October 17, 2023
These are the areas where Israel has warned 1.1 million Palestinians to evacuate

From CNN staff




An estimated 1.1 million people live in Gaza City and surrounding parts of the northern Gaza Strip, where the Israeli military has warned civilians to leave before a new phase in its war with Hamas.



The map below shows the densely populated areas included in Israel’s advisory.



It also shows the Rafah crossing to Egypt (bottom-left) — the only option for people trying to leave Gaza entirely, as Israel has tightened its long-established blockade on the territory and completely closed its border crossings.

















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